City services and winter weather reminders

Peterborough, ON - It has been a snowy winter and more snow is on the way. An Environment Canada monitoring station in the City's north end recorded 30 centimetres of snow accumulation as of early this week, compared to three centimetres at the same time last year. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the area with potentially another 20 to 40 centimetres of snow in the forecast for Wednesday evening into Thursday afternoon.

With forecasts predicting a winter storm, the City of Peterborough is reminding residents to stay safe and to follow winter parking restrictions to keep routes clear for snow plows.

The City's Public Works division maintains 978 lane kilometres of road, 450 kilometres of sidewalks, 39 kilometres of trails, and 650 bus stops, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

More information on the City's snow removal operations and winter parking restrictions can be found at peterborough.ca/snow.

Snow clearing routes - prioritization

Snow-clearing operations are based on a priority route system.

Roads that see the highest volume of traffic, are on transit routes, or pass by the hospital are the highest priority for maintenance in winter weather. Arterial and collector roads are cleared first as required by legislated standards.

Once the arterial and collector roads are clear or safe, snow-clearing operations shift to residential or local streets.

Depending on the severity of the storm, the time it takes to finish snow clearing can vary. A big storm with snowfall over a long period of time may mean it takes longer to clear snow from neighbourhood streets.

The City follows the provincial guidelines set under the Municipal Act, 2001, O. Reg. 239/02: Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways. The regulations categorize and prioritize roads based on traffic volumes and speed limits - the greater the volume of traffic and the greater the speed limit on the roads, the greater the priority for snow and ice clearing. The guidelines also include standards for the winter maintenance of bike lanes along roads and sidewalks.

Winter on-street parking

From December 1 to April 1, parking is prohibited on all City streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. to allow for quicker snow clearing at a lower cost because crews will not have to return to areas where vehicles were parked. The fine for a violation is $25.

During a snowstorm, when snow-clearing operations are underway, parking is prohibited on all City streets between midnight and 8 a.m. The fine for violating this By-Law is $80 and vehicles may be towed.

Free overnight parking is available at all municipal lots, the King Street Parkade and the Simcoe Parking Garage. Those parking overnight at either parking garage can use the gate arm ticket for a free transit trip home.

Driveways and snowbanks on boulevards

Residents are responsible for clearing their driveways and ensuring snowbanks do not block sight lines. It is illegal to deposit snow from a driveway or parking lot on a roadway, and can result in a ticket under the Highway Traffic Act.

Waste collection

For waste collection in winter when there is snow accumulation, green bins and recycling bins should be placed on cleared driveways or cleared areas on the boulevard, not on top of a snowbank or in the roadway.

There should be two feet of space around the Green Bin to allow the mechanical arm to lift the bin.

Bins should not be placed on the road. Bins on the road can interfere with snow removal operations and block traffic.

For more information on the City's waste management program visit peterborough.ca/ReduceWaste.

Peterborough Transit

During heavy snowfalls when road conditions may become slippery, Peterborough Transit may adjust operations and certain bus routes to follow designated Snow Routes, when necessary. If Snow Routes are activated, information will be posted on peterborough.ca, and updates will be provided on Peterborough Transit and City of Peterborough social media accounts.

The following routes have designated Snow Routes:

• Route 4 Weller
• Route 6 Sherbrooke
• Route 8 Monaghan
• Route 11A Water
• Community Bus 22 - Blue

For details on Snow Routes and other route and schedule information, please visit peterborough.ca/TransitRoutes or call Transit customer service at 705-745-0525.

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